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According to the PFF folks there have been series of stories about Quenton Nelson and his participation in the combine last year. You can hear the stories here(go to 47:25):
Story 1: Quenton was interviewing with the 49ers and they showed him the tape of him blowing the safety away coming from the other side of the formation from the game vs Georgia.
So they ask him "what did you see, how did you see the safety blitz? Talk us through this" and Quenton answered the regular stuff "I've studied tape, I saw the formation and picked up the blitz, etc."... then he looked straight at John Lynch and added "I would have done the same thing if it was you"
Story 2: Quenton and his trainers had decided to not do one of the drills at the combine and some team told him "if you don't run that drill we are not going to draft you" and he was like "Look, all I do is bury people into the dirt every single play and if you cannot work that out from the tape then I can't help you"

1. Get a new good LT
2. Get a new good LG
3. Get a new good C
4. Get a new good RG
5. Get a new good RT
6. Build a new stadium that is not owned by TY Hilton
7. Try not to call TY Hilton a clown, a scrub or anything of the sort the week before the games.

The moment no one was waiting for...
Pre-combine, based on limited film viewing and research (although I've watched at least a little of every draft pick shown below). I plan to do another one after the combine, before free agency starts, but who knows if I'll have watched enough more film to do anything meaningful.
I'm adding some players in free agency to address some needs and upgrade some positions, and I'm letting some guys walk because I'm adding a different player that I like better. Geathers and Inman are gone; I'm re-signing Desir and I get the feeling some will think my contract projection for him isn't reasonable, but my mock can survive without him. Trying to get two-deep across the board. I think the thinnest spot winds up being OL.
Numbers from OTC and Spotrac:
Colts cap standing: 2019 projected cap of $189m (7% increase from 2018), rollover of $49m from 2018 = adjusted cap of ~$239m. As of now, including the Glowinski and AV contracts, the Colts have $131.4m committed in 2019, cap space of $107.7m (committed $88m in 2020, projected cap of $200m).
Releases: none
Colts free agents:
Glowinski, three years, $16.2m, cap hits $3.5m, $6.15m, $6.65m
Vinatieri, one year, $3.875m
Desir, two years, $9m, cap hits $4m, $5m
Hunt, one year, $3m
Webb, one year, $1.5m
Grissom, one year, $805k
Rhodes, ERFA tender, one year, $645k
Hewitt, one year, $805k
Moore, one year, $900k
Boehm, tender, $2.035m
Milton, one year, $900k
Farley, tender, $2.035m
Travis, one year, $900k
Rogers, tender, $2.035m
Martin, tender, $645k
Johnson, tender, $645k
Geathers -- FA
Inman -- FA
Grant -- FA
Woods -- FA
Mitchell -- FA
Wilcox -- FA
Slauson -- retired
> Added $20.2m to 2019 cap (approx $9.5m guaranteed), added $10m to 2020 cap (none guaranteed)
>> New cap position in 2019 -- $144m committed, remaining cap space of approx $95m
Free agent additions:
Adrian Phillips, four years, $27.5m, $10m guaranteed (none in year 2), cap hits of $6.25m, 6.25m, 7.25m, 7.75m; starting SS, plays well in the box, nickel pass coverage, can play man, good tackler/run support, instinctive, good range on the back end
Trey Flowers, five years, $87m ($17.4m/year), $50m guaranteed, $16.4m, 17.4m, 17.4m, 17.4m, 18.4m; edge rusher who lines up and plays effectively everywhere, gets a ton of QB pressures, only 26 next season so conceivably has more to show, just as good in run defense; paying a premium for a player I think is the best fit at a premium position
Steven Nelson, three years, $24m, $9m guaranteed, cap hits of $7m, $8m, $9m; starting CB who can play man and zone, better in zone, feisty and competitive, good in run support, has enough quickness to play inside if necessary
Cameron Fleming, two years, $7m, $1m guaranteed, cap hits $3.5m each; swing tackle, competition, depth, upside
Adam Humphries, four years, $37m, 11.5m guaranteed, cap hits of $8.5m, $9m, $9.5m, $10m; starting wide receiver, good YAC receiver, gets separation quickly, makes tacklers miss
Bryce Hager, one year, $1.2m; depth LB with range and quickness, decent tackler, special teamer
Draft pool, approx $8m in 2019
> Added $51.9m to 2019 cap, approx $49m to 2020 cap (approx $20m guaranteed, including draft pool)
>> New cap position in 2019 -- $196m committed (total), remaining cap space approx $48m
>>> Committed $146m in 2020, rolling approx $35-40m from 2019, estimated cap space $88m
Draft (conflicting info on the actual draft spots, especially past the third round, so I might be off by one here and there):
1/26 -- Deionte Thompson, Alabama, safety/dime defender, rangy, ball skills, aggressive tackler, capable in single high or in the box against TEs, allows for versatile usage of Hooker and other safeties, high ceiling prospect who probably slides out of the top 20 due to a recent, minor injury
2/34 -- Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State, DT, three tech, versatility and athleticism to play multiple spots, mostly an interior rusher who needs work to become an every down player, but can have an immediate impact if used in the right packages
2/59 -- Riley Ridley, Georgia, WR, good ball catcher, strong route runner, good after catch, good size and enough speed to make, can be new possession receiver and scoring threat
3-90 -- Vosean Joseph, Florida, ILB, rangy, athletic, can hit, needs refinement in all areas but has the tools and shows ability to perform on tape, easy fit for our defense
4/129 -- Josh Oliver, San Jose State, TE, good route runner, athletic pass catcher, capable blocker, I feel like he would be a second rounder in another draft, but this draft is loaded with TEs and I view him as a steal with the potential to be a high level player in the NFL
4/135 -- Elijah Holyfield, Georgia, RB, prototypical prospect for every down back in the NFL, big, strong, has athleticism to get to the second level, finishes well, needs work as a receiver and blocker
5/165 -- Jordan Brailford, Oklahoma State, edge, good production with 10 sacks as a junior, two serious injuries in the past but was solid in 2018, has good traits as a versatile defender with athleticism and length, needs technical work but has the tools to be a good DE
6/198 -- Derrick Baity, Kentucky, CB, long, decent athlete, plays the ball and makes plays in zone coverage
7/241 -- Garrett Brumfield, G, LSU, good movement and range as an interior blocker, feisty and eager to finish, refinement needed with hands and balance, but fits the new Colts OL mindset
Depth chart (draft picks in bold, FA additions in italics, injury returns underlined)
QB -- Luck, Brissett, Walker
RB -- Mack, Hines, Wilkins, Holyfield
WR -- Hilton, Humphries, Rogers, Cain, Ridley, Fountain, Pascal
TE -- Doyle, Ebron, Oliver, Hewitt, Cox, Travis
LT -- AC, Fleming, Garcia
LG -- Nelson, Brumfield
C -- Kelly, Boehm, Andrews
RG -- Glowinski, Haeg
RT -- Smith, Webb, Clark
DT -- Autry, Hunt, Jones, Ridgeway, Stewart, Ward
DE -- Flowers, Sheard, Lewis, Turay, Muhammed, Brailford, Grissom
LB -- Leonard, Walker, Joseph, Franklin, Adams, Hager, S. Moore, Thomas
CB -- Desir, Nelson, Wilson, K. Moore, Collins, Baity, Milton, Hairston
S -- Hooker, Phillips, Thompson, Farley, Odum, Milligan
K -- Vinatieri
P -- Sanchez
LS -- Rhodes
Whatchu think??
GO COLTS!

At this time of year and fans start thinking about future members of their favorite team, this is a good thing to remember.
Fans see what a college player IS.
Scouts, front office personnel, and coaches are trying to see what a player CAN BECOME. And that's a big, BIG difference.
You'll often see posts from fans here wondering why we took that guy? Or why did another team take this guy? And they wonder because the guy they like is still on the board and that's who they think their favorite team should've taken. Because, whatever he IS, teams think they can make him better. That the player has a higher ceiling.
Also.... fans have little way of knowing if the player has been taken off a team's board for a variety of reasons. Health. Character. Locker room issues. Family and other personal issues. Lots of things we'll never know about. Sometimes we do. We all wondered why Darrice Guice kept falling last year. Turns out he had enough red flags to launch a big sail boat. And that eventually leaked out. We also wondered about Hurst. We knew he had a health issue, but we were surprised so many teams passed on him as long as they did. But typically, that type of info doesn't get out. Sometimes the decision doesn't come down to the GM. It can come down to the owner. Especially when it comes to character. Some owners don't want to handle the heat out in public. And sometimes a player is given a thumbs down by the medical staff. There's just no way to know....
One last thought....
Remember the highlight reals on YouTube and elsewhere are typically highlights. The best of a player. It's rare to see a collection of plays that represent the WORST of a player. So judging a player only by the highlights can be misleading. And if we saw the worst of a player, we might all have another viewpoint.

Quick notes:
- Talks about combine interview questions that the Colts ask. He says that they watch tape with a lot of players and put good and bad plays on there. They want the player to explain the play and make them understand why they did what they did and if they understand what all of the other players are doing. They also want to see if the players are going to place blame on the other players for their mistakes or own up to them.
-Ballard is very down to earth and actually lets out a couple F bombs and some other adult words” lol
-Says “F***” that” in what others think about their picks and those who complain and worry about unknown players. States they are going to keep drafting players that aren’t always known because “That’s what they do!”
-Says that he doesn’t go crazy over combine grades. Says team focuses what player shows on tape.
-Ballard says team can learn almost 50%-70% more about a players health at combine because college teams keep pretty quiet about it.
-Colts REALLY care about drafting and building within the organization. Ballard says he will continue to be very “strategic” when signing FA. Says money will mainly be used to sign own guys but not oblivious that only drafting would take forever. Still wants to focus on building locker room.
-Talks about a bit of his FA signing and that he is totally fine letting players leave if they feel they can make better money elsewhere. He said sometimes players get upset about that.
-Also states that it is important for players to find their spot and roll on the team. Uses Chester Rogers as an example. Not trying to be #1 but being reliable.
-States that his draft strategy is best player available.
-Will always put O-Line and D-Line before other positions. Firmly believes those positions win games.

I'm starting this as kind of a catch-all for my WR draft thoughts, since @stitches keeps calling me out... ;)
Feel free to add your thoughts, whether random or well thought out, or whatever, so we can discuss 2019 draft class wide receivers together.
First up for me: I definitely have Hakeem Butler ahead of DK Metcalf. Metcalf is a raw athlete with inconsistent hands, little understanding of route running and body positioning. While he's super fast and can break tackles, if he's not running past the secondary or breaking short against off coverage, I'm not convinced he can get open in the NFL. He's big and fast and can jump, but I don't see him using those tools to catch the ball at the high point consistently. He does have incredible range once the ball is in the air, and he has a "go get it" mentality, leading to some highlight catches, but mostly against DBs who have no ball instincts (Lonnie Johnson, for instance). He can play, he can definitely run, but he's not a skilled route runner, he's not consistent with his hands, and he doesn't use his body to create separation. He also doesn't have any production. He is the athlete with upside who, IMO, will get overdrafted because of his insane potential, but he has a lot of work to do to live up to that potential.
Hakeem Butler is another athlete with upside. He's not as freakish as Metcalf, not as quick, not as fast in the 40, probably doesn't hit the same top speed either, but still an eye-popping athlete with plenty of explosiveness. More of a long-strider, like Braylon Edwards, with some Josh Gordon to him when the ball is in the air. Similar issues with route running, and creating separation out of breaks; he also is an inconsistent ball catcher, like Metcalf. But I think he's more physical, more imposing, uses his body better, has better awareness for where he is on the field, I think his footwork is better, and his tenacity once he has the ball is unmatched. He has double the production of Metcalf, and fewer injuries in his past.
So my comparison for Metcalf is Cordarrelle Patterson, and my comparison for Butler is Vincent Jackson. Both are promising prospects, but I prefer Butler over Metcalf.

If you bring in Big Pay, Big Name (and Big Chest) players, you_must win for losing divides and rips apart the locker room, creates pointing of fingers and (adult language) yelling, destroys the fabric of brotherhood and togetherness that builds a team working together toward the same goal.
I learned this from at least 3 GM's (Bill Polian, Phil Savage, Mark Dominik) and is every GM's worst nightmare.
Drafting, growing, and paying your own along the way assures they know the culture and are a fit. Those that drift don't get an offer to re-sign. FA's are to fit needs, but do not have to be Superstars.
To me, if you can fill true bare bones spots / needs with value and performing players via FA, you can then draft BPA in place of reaching for need each round. But you don't have to 'buy' the best/most elite FA's . Why are they even on the market to begin with?

When I first read this story, I thought it was just an older man with possible mild cognitive impairment doing what a lot of guys do. But this is a lot bigger than I originally thought. Kraft's role is probably minimal but as Jvan wrote, it is because of people like him who patronize these places that allow this to be multi-million dollar businesses. And the business owners can use those profits to pay for a good defense to keep themselves out of prison.
The whole thing is sad.

There are many threads on potential players that the Colts will get (or should get) in the draft and Free agency
I will have to say that with Grigson, there WERE actually posters on this board, and general fans, that were better at picking players
After one year, Trent Richardson drafted top 5 is suddenly available for a first. ??????
Didnt that make you think? What are we actually getting? One of the teams in this transaction was a sucker, and it wasnt the Browns.
There were numerous large contracts for aging players that didnt have anything left in the tank brought in.
He had no culture, He had no plan............... It showed on the field
These days it is completely different. It is clear that Chris Ballard has a plan and he is executing this plan
His pillars of his approach (What he repeats.... constantly)
- Build the lines FIRST
- Build the team with high character leaders (No Locker room "cancers" allowed)
- Don't overpay for aging FAs
- Get a little better as a team, and as an individual, every week
- Draft plan - Best Player Available
- Reward the current contributors with fair contracts, when contracts are up. (Grow your own mentality)
As a fan, I sometimes get caught up in the latest, and shiniest, free agent dialog, and the latest player that will be drafted
In many cases, they don't meet the stated criteria, above........
As Ballard is a man of his word....... he WONT make that move, if it doesn't fit these criteria
His approach is the right one.
I hereby resolve to repeat the mantra of Ballard, before I share my opinion on ANY FAs and rookies to be.
We made a great step in 2018.
This was a team on the rocks. I fully believe today, that with a little Luck, (Pun intended) and some team health
that we are only a few short steps from the Super Bowl
As a fan, I want him to make a big splash in FA.....
I IMMEDIATELY want Collins, Williams, Moseley, Flowers (Others)
BUT..........
We will probably end up with players like.........Amos, Humphries, Ansah
These 3 ARE NOT SEXY, but would help the team from where we are today.... and could very well fit the pillars of Ballard's
"How to build the team"
His mantra, says that might not happen (so........probably not)
I look at this draft, and HOPE that they go with a DE/DT, S, WR, OT in the first 3 rounds
BUT..........
I WILL NOT be surprised if we go with a position that is NOT in dire need
(Maybe QB, K, P, to be exceptions )
We may actually go with an OT, LB, CB, RB, OG, (or the position of needs, if BPA)
There is a thought that BPA...... is ACTUALLY BPA
I do think that in a defense heavy draft, there is an EXCELLENT chance that the BPA, is actually a defensive front 7 player.
In my overall life, I 100% trust the good Lord above
For football, I 100% trust the approach of BALLARD to take this team....... a passion for 30 years..... to a near Super bowl.
Deano

Oh, and sorry I'm not on here as much. My new career keeps me busy. But from time to time, I promise to visit, and make my presence known with a tidbit here and there for everyone
Miss you all,....keep up the great convo's!

The more I read, the more disgusted I get.
Yes, big names involved here, but more importantly,
There are women and young girls being held captive, and being forced to do things to, and with men and they probably have no idea of these mens power and notoriety.
The most important story to come out of this would be to get these gals some help.

We don’t need to pay a cover 2 corner big money. They’re the easiest to find. We are not asking them to protect an island all day like we did Vontae in our old man scheme.
Our defense requires our corners to be physical and they will take a beating. So will our safeties.
In my mind, we should only pay big money to our quarterback, the front seven and the offensive line. Every other position we need to get at a bargain or we let walk.